Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39821749›Full record

ArticleOncology and therapy2025

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width May Predict Drug-Induced Anemia and Prognosis in Patients Affected by Primary/Secondary Myelofibrosis Treated with Ruxolitinib.

Alessandro Laganà, Emilia Scalzulli, Ida Carmosino, Maria L Bisegna, Maurizio Martelli, Massimo Breccia

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncology and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Alessandro LaganàHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-9432-224X
Emilia ScalzulliHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Ida CarmosinoHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Maria L BisegnaHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Maurizio MartelliHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Massimo BrecciaHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I-Sapienza University, Via Benevento 6, 00161, Rome, Italy. breccia@bce.uniroma1.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1163-6162

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMyelofibrosis (MF) is often characterized by a multifactorial anemia determined, in part, by bone marrow (BM) fibrosis, extramedullary erythropoiesis and splenomegaly. Ruxolitinib (RUX) is the first-in-class janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor approved for treatment of MF, proved to reduce spleen volume and decrease symptom burden. The red cell distribution width (RDW) is the measure of erythrocyte volume variability (anisocytosis). RDW has been recognized as a marker of clinical and subclinical systemic inflammation, and its elevation has also been associated with poor outcome in a wide spectrum of benign disorders and in different types of neoplasms.

methodsWe retrospectively evaluated RDW in a single-center series of 200 consecutive patients with primary and secondary MF at RUX treatment initiation and examined any possible correlation with adverse MF features or drug-related anemia and any prognostic impact.

resultsWe suggested 20.5% as the optimal cutoff point in RDW values at start of RUX to dichotomize patients in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for spleen response and for survival. Higher RDW values at RUX start were associated with clinical and laboratory features of an aggressive MF phenotype. Lower spleen response (p < 0.001) and greater odds of drug-related anemia at 3 (p = 0.006) and 6 months (p < 0.001) were also seen in patients with higher RDW. Both increased RDW (considered as a continuous variable) and RDW ≥ 20.5% were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) from RUX initiation in univariate and multivariate analysis: HR 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.40) (p < 0.001) and HR 3.01 (95% CI 1.81-4.99) (p < 0.001), respectively. RDW ≥ 20.5% at RUX start seems to possibly improve patients' sub-stratification along with anemia and conventional prognostic scoring systems.

conclusionsRDW at RUX start might represent a good indirect measure of MF features and might have prognostic significance for RUX-treated patients affected by MF, aiding in the rapid detection of patients with poor prognosis.

Indexed as

Drug-induced anemiaMyelofibrosisOverall survival (OS)Red blood cell distribution width (RDW)Ruxolitinib (RUX)Spleen response

Identifiers

PMID39821749
PMCPMC11880497

What Socratic holds

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